Brief: Use visual communication to remind people of the things that unite and connect us.
Inspired by troubling news in the wake of Brexit negotiations concerning the Irish border, I chose to find common ground between the Irish and British living near the border.
Concept: With radical attacks reflecting The Troubles, to lighten the mood, I attempt a light-hearted approach to uniting the divided on serious topics that both nationalities value. Using tongue-in-cheek, remind people that we cannot revert to The Troubles.
Solution: Use Irish black humour which is undergoing a renaissance as seen with TV show Derry Girls. Undermine the prejudice behind the tensions with satirical humour.
Homes along the border communities will receive packages with goodies from a satirical radical group called The Soundest Army. It consists of car stickers and badges to show your affiliation and a message and manifesto from the group. There is also a small self-help book depending, whether you’re British or Irish that helps centre you and become your best self.
The covers trick the reader to initially believe they will become their best nationality in a patriotic sense. Instead, you will become the best self your country actually needs.
The small books' opening pages turn to the colours of the other country’s flag colours. They holds quotes from famous citizens of the other country. So, British people will receive self-help from McGregor and Saoirse Ronan that are actually mocking the person for their prejudice. Vice versa for Irish people reading quotes from Northern Ireland’s citizens.
The books are small and handmade to make them appear locally sourced and shows the 'amateur designers' are people involved in the countries' everyday life and the group is canvassing door-to-door off their own efforts.
----- Click on photos to zoom and read -----
FOR BRITISH READERS
FOR IRISH READERS
There is a list at the end of the book that asks you to write your favourite things about the other nationality. You should read this book and become a changed person and fully fledged member of The Soundest Army. The reader is encouraged to go to their local pub for a free pint and realise that the other side aren't that bad. A message of support at the end of the book that tells the reader to refer back to the book often to ensure you don’t become a gobshite again.
The Soundest Army’s motto is “Make Border Communities Sound Again”, which pokes fun at the border issue by imitating Trump’s MAGA hats that you have the option to purchase to give funding to your local pub in case of Brexit.
The group's brand identity is two hands high-fiving. A satirical play on the Irish Republican Army's raised fist symbol. Blue is their 'team colour'. Their objective is just to be sound to others really.
The badges allow members to recognise each other out on the street. Also, the book is a compact size so you can take it wherever you go to ensure you don’t turn into a gobshite, at the sound of yer wan’s Derry accent or yer man’s Dublin jersey.
*Real life footage of a British woman getting pissed off at the sight of a Galway jersey in Belfast city, so she whips out her compact self-help book and drops her ignorant prejudice and becomes a respectable member of society and The Soundest Army*
